5 NHL Faces in New Places Offering Betting Value For the 2024-25 Season

Players move to new teams every offseason, and these are five faces on new teams you can take advantage of ahead of the new campaign.

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst
Oct 3, 2024 • 13:48 ET • 4 min read
Matvei Michkov Philadelphia Flyers NHL
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

The 2024-25 NHL regular season is right ahead of us, and it’s the perfect time to fire up some NHL player props futures bets.

Here’s a quintet of NHL picks featuring five faces in new places offering betting value ahead of the season.

Canucks Jake DeBrusk Over 48.5 points 

-110 at bet365

The Vancouver Canucks shelled out $38.5 million to bring in Jake DeBrusk, and he’ll be a top-six staple while potentially logging career-high minutes. A role on the No. 1 power-play unit is in the cards, and it’s hard to argue with his projected even-strength gig flanking Elias Pettersson to start the season.

Jumping the boards with J.T. Miller isn’t a bad Plan B, either.

DeBrusk posted a healthy 54.0% Corsi For, 58.3 goals for percentage, and a 57.5% xGF at 5-on-5 over the past three years with the Boston Bruins, and he was only on the ice for a 7.8 team shooting percentage. For comparison, Vancouver posted a league-high 10.6% at 5-on-5 in 2023-24.

DeBrusk’s ability to drive possession will quickly win over head coach Rick Tocchet, and there’s untapped offensive upside, too. The 27-year-old winger was rarely positioned for success with the Bruins, and that couldn’t be further from the truth to start the 2024-25 campaign.

Flyers Matvei Michkov Over 48.5 points

-110 at bet365

I’m going with a layup here, and there are going to be a handful of front offices disappointed they didn’t grab Russian Matvei Michkov in the 2023 NHL Draft.

The 19-year-old winger is coming off a 41-point showing across 47 games in the KHL, and Michkov oozes skill. His shooting ability is elite, and he also possesses the vision and creativity to pad the points column.

Considering the Philadelphia Flyers have finished 32nd in power-play percentage in three consecutive seasons, Michkov should also be a mainstay on the No. 1 unit while also receiving consistent even-strength minutes in a scoring role.

With the layups out of the way, here are a pair of longer shots to add to your card:

Devils Jacob Markstrom Under 31.5 wins

-110 at BetMGM

Big things are expected from the New Jersey Devils this season. The offseason addition of Jacob Markstrom with Jake Allen also on the roster solidifies the crease, which has long been a sore spot for Devils fans.

The tandem is a primary reason expectations are so high, but it’s also the primary reason I’m eyeing this Under. Markstrom and Allen are going to be closer to a 50-50 timeshare than this total implies, and the 34-year-old Swede battled injuries last season while starting just 48 games.

There’s no questioning Markstrom’s ability, but I also expect the New Jersey brass to be focused on his availability this spring when the games matter most. I’m not anticipating him starting enough to reach 32 wins.

Kings Darcy Kuemper Over 23.0 wins

-115 at Caesars

The Washington Capitals ranked 24th in CF%, GF%, and xGF% at 5-on-5 across Darcy Kuemper’s two seasons with the club, and his save percentage dipped to .902 after posting a .922 mark across 197 games the prior five years.

Landing with the Los Angeles Kings is perfect for Kuemper. He’s the clear No. 1, and he’ll benefit from playing behind an elite defensive team. The Kings surrendered the fourth-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 the past two seasons while also ranking fifth in CF%.

Kuemper is also no stranger to a big workload, with three seasons of 55 starts or more.

Maple Leafs Anthony Stolarz Over 15.5 wins

-135 at Caesars

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll has a lengthy injury history and has started just 34 NHL games across the past three seasons, with another 37 games played in the AHL. Simply put, he can’t stay healthy.

Enter Stanley Cup winner Anthony Stolarz.

Stolarz projects to be the Toronto No. 2 entering the season, but he was automatic for the Florida Panthers last year and is going to see his fair share of starts for the Leafs. The organization dished out $5 million over two years after Stolarz posted a .925 SV%, 2.03 GAA, and 0.60 goals saved above average per 60 minutes.

Even if Woll stays healthy, I’m expecting Stolarz to play his way into a near timeshare in the Toronto crease. Of course, if Woll misses a chunk of time, Stolarz will cruise to 20+ wins.

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Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs with Sportsbook Review, USA TODAY, theScore, DraftKings Playbook, and RotoWire, among many others. He also co-hosted the Daily Fantasy Edge podcast and can now be seen offering expert golf and hockey advice on Covers’ Before you Bet broadcast.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

Neil’s top pieces of advice for recreational bettors are to stay within your means and to remember sportsbooks aren’t bank accounts. Don’t be afraid to pull those winnings and treat yourself to a lifetime experience courtesy of a big win.

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